The image bank of the Province of West Flanders has a unique double function.

This project combines the common function of an image bank – unlocking digital heritage for a wide audience – with complex internal company functionality: the efficient management of the actual digital photo collection within a large organization with multiple locations.

It is first and foremost a central internal image bank for the over 850 employees of the provincial government. Only employees have access. Every picture is stored centrally and easily accessible. This way, people don’t lose any more time searching for images to use in a folder, on a poster or on one of the provincial website. The copyright system ensures that all employees know exactly what they can do with each image.

Aside from this, their image bank is a shop window for the rich cultural heritage of the province. Digitized images from collections of the provincial library and heritage foundations from West Flemish municipalities are easily searchable and accessible for who enjoys beautiful images from the past.